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After the Hanging
Gardens Flood
When the water recedes,
silence settles on stone terraces.
Jasmine, laurel, mint and sage
and other fragrant things lie low
in Babylonian mud.
Broken stems. Bruised petals.
Sodden soil clinging to cypress and vine.
But beneath, roots remember.
Patient, persistent, pressing down.
Wait a few more days.
Sun will warm the wet.
Wind will wash the leaves.
Then jasmine will climb again.
Laurel will lift. Mint will multiply.
And the hanging garden will bloom
fragrant, fierce, and full.
Fhen M. has received multiple recognitions, including second place in the 1st Chito Roño Literary Awards in the Waray poetry (siday) category and several daily wins in the DYVL Siday Contest, a radio-based poetry competition. His published works include “Bamboo House” and “Homing” in Horseshoe Spring 2024 and Fall 2025, respectively. His poem “Shadow Puppet” has been accepted by Straylight Literary Magazine, and “Bookcase in the House of My Ancestors” and “Spending the Night on Planet Mars” appear in Well Read Magazine: Best of 2024, Vol. 1.